Save Gladwyne Village

Montessori Expansion Threatens the Village - SIGN THE PETITION AND ATTEND THE HEARING.

In addition to being on the National Register of Historic Places, the Village of Gladwyne was designated a historic district by Lower Merion Township to ensure that its history and charms are preserved. Gladwyne Village is unique to the Main Line due to its mix of shops, buildings and homes, some dating back to the 1700’s. Unfortunately, the continued preservation of our beautiful historic village is now at risk.

The Real Facts:1. Gladwyne Montessori already occupies a 3-acre site in the Village. The School has quietly purchased many homes that adjoin its current campus on the edge of the historic district as part of its agenda to almost double the size of its campusto over 5 acres and become even larger in the future.

2. The School has submitted an expansion plan to the Zoning Board requesting a Special Exception to demolish multiple homes and consolidate those lots with the existing campus. This will enlarge the campus to 5.2 acres, a campus out of scale with the rest of the historic Village.

3. The impact of the School’s attempt to consolidate all of these lots means that Gladwyne Montessori will be: • nearly doubling its current size while demolishing several homes in the Village; • removing over 60 mature trees from our village; • building a large parking lot adjacent to many class 1 listed historic properties, with a 34 ft bank, wall and fence, which is taller than many surrounding houses; and • reducing the real estate tax base of both the Township and School District - raising your share of the tax burden!

4. According to the Township’s recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, institutions over 5 acres will be given significantly more leeway and freedom for future development. We must stop the School from being granted the right to expand itscampus and from ever being as large as 5 acres, especially as the schools plans are not known for the other adjacent homes they have purchased, but not included in this application.

5 . The School also owns several other homes that they are not seeking to consolidate at this time. Under the new Comprehensive plan, if the School is permitted to reach 5 acres, it will no longer need Zoning Board permission nor consider neighbors’ concerns for further expansion. It could even expand it campus to 10 acres.

6. The current application for a Special Exception to expand the Montessori School already violates the clear and primary intentions of the Township’s Comprehensive Plan to both preserve the residential neighborhoods and the historic character of the Village.

If the School’s plan is permitted, residential property values will decrease and traffic and storm water runoff will increase. Pedestrian safety around the Village will be at risk.

Stop this expansion by SIGNING THE PETITION ... and ATTENDING the hearing on Thursday February 1st 2018 at 7.15pm at the Township Building, 75 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003